The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-23
4. Does ABILITY TO TRAIL.
Interesting and Hovel Tests By q
scientific Investigation.

sTom the ooioncos
DR.. O. J. Romsnes, by his careful
observations and happy genersliza.
tions, has made himself the repre-.
sentative OF the growing
ecience Of comparative psychol-
ogy. DR.. Romsnes has made
an important study on the method by
which his dog follows the scsnt OF the
master. The observations were made
on Dr. RomaDe's setter bitch, an
animal much attached TO him. They
were made on the grounds adjoining
his house, and number OF precau.
tons not easily described were taken.
1. When DR.. Romanes walks over
the ground with his hunting boots on,
the dog follows the scent with the
greatest readiness. 2. II she Is put on
the track OF q stranger she pays no at
tention to 1t. 3. The dog was led into
the room when preparations were 60
ing ON Tor an outing, but instead of
Dr. komsnes going out, the gsmekeep-
or (whoee scent he follows next after
that OF DR.. Romanes) went; when Get
FREQ the animal at first followed the
track, but finding that her master was
not with the gamekeepsr, returned.
4. The next experiment was very
ingenious one. Twelve men walked
In Indian file, 30 that they
all trod the same footsteps, thus
producing a conglomerato Of oil.
factory impressions. DR.. Romanes
headed the company, 90 that the
traces oil his steps should be most
obliterated, and, after walking thus
two hundred yards, the. first six men
walked in one direction, the last six
In another. The dog quickly ran
along the route followed by the twelve,
oversh0t the point of division, but
soon returned and followed the
direction taken by the six beaded by
DIR. Romanes. 5. A number Of expert.
ments were made TO ascertain what
part OF DR.. Romanes's person or OF bis
apparel gave ths clew to the animal.
II was suspected to be the hunting
boots, and this proved correct. A
Stranger put on these boots, and
the dog eagerly followed the
scent, and, contrarywise, when, 9,
DR.. Romanes put on the Strangers
boots the animal was Indifferent
TO his track. Z. Farther experiments
were made to locate the source OF the
scent In the boots. The dog did not
follow the scent OF stranger walking
In bare feet. s. When DR.. Romanes
walked In bare feet the dog followed
the track, but less eagerly than usual,
end with much hesitation. 8 Again,
the animal did not follow DR.. Ro.
nance when he put on new shooting
boots. 10. Next, a single sheet Of
brown paper wss glued 10 the soles OF
hie usual hunting boots. The dog did
not catch the trail until he came 10 q
place where, as DR.. Romanes bad pre-.
viously not ID, few square millimeires
OF the paper had come of. ii. When
her master walked la new cotton socks
the trail was lsslly followed, and soon
given up. With wooden socks worn
all day the result was the same. IL.
DR.. Romsnes next walked fifty yards
In shooting boots; then 800 yards in
his stocking soles, carrying his boots;
then 800 yards In his bare feet. The
animal caught the scent and followed
i unhesitatingly through the whole
distance, though the trace left by
stockings or bare feet alone was not
sufficient TO guide the animal. l8.
The next test was modification OF
the last. DIR. Romanes and q stranger
entered q carrisge and drove for sew.
eral hundred yards. The former, Ia
hie hunting boots, then alighted
and walked fifty yards, whereupon
he 70 entered the carriage, and
the stranger walked the next
200 yards; the dog, when shown the
track, ran the whole $50 yards with
out pausing. The experiment was re-
peated Nth another stranger with the
same result. IL. To test the power
which the dog bad Of selecting the dis
iinctive odor accompanying her mas.
ter from other odors, DR.. Romanes
soaked his hunting boots In aniseseed
oil. The sfor was 90 strong that
friend could follow the track an hour
later by the odor Of the oil, vet the
dog was not confused, except that ehe
hesitated about the first few steps, but
then pursued AZ usual.
The next test was directed toward
asceriaining whether the animal could
distinguish her master by odors ema.
Mating from other portions Of his per-
son. ID. DIR. Romanee, after pursuing
a ziezig course just trodden over by a
number OF footsteps, bid behind a
wall, with bis eyes just visible. The
animal manf a. an,a a Az. ltl....
place. 10. Again, be bid In q ditch,
With only the top Of his head visible.
Al zoo ya'ds the dog detected her
master, aud vent 10 him directly.
From these tests DR.. Romans con.
oludea that the dog distinguishes him
from all others by the odor OF bis
boots Q.6,) and doee not distinguish
him In his naked feet Gill Tue odor
10 probably emitted by the feet, but
must be mixed with that OF shoe
leathsr-to be Of service 10 the dog.
This 10 doubtless q matter Of education !;
had the dog been used 10 following her
master whom without shoes, the ami
nal would have learned 70 follow him
thus. The Characteristic odor cannot
penetrate q sheet Of brown paper, but
q few square millimeires Of surface
is sufficient 10 give the dog
the clew. The animal Ia ready 10 be
guided by inference nc we'll ~ by per.
oeption, but the inference Ia instanta-
neous (l2 and 10 90 compared with 2,
8 and III Lastly. not only the feet
Through the boots), but the whole
body emits an odor that the dog can
distinguish In maas OF othors (l6).
This odor IL recognized n great dis.
tances 10 windwsId Q6), or In calm
weather In any direction (l6); II IL not
oyerpoyerpd by snieeaeed "A l4l or